


Cutest Couple

by Lovelyziam



Series: Tumblr Drabbles [23]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Flirting, Getting Together, M/M, Oblivious!Liam, like if you squint - Freeform, slight angst, very bad flirting but they're trying!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-22
Updated: 2020-02-22
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:22:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22840933
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lovelyziam/pseuds/Lovelyziam
Summary: Liam raised an eyebrow. “On a completely random Tuesday night? Yeah, that makes total sense.”“Exactly!” Harry beamed at Liam over his shoulder, already heading to the kitchen with his bags of snacks as Liam closed the door behind them all. Louis and Niall were quick to follow, shouting about which snacks were theirs and what Harry better have not forgotten.Zayn lingered behind, and when Liam looked up to meet his gaze, Zayn leaned over and bumped their shoulders.“Hey, Li,” he murmured. “Feel like it’s been forever since I’ve seen you.”
Relationships: Zayn Malik/Liam Payne
Series: Tumblr Drabbles [23]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1332338
Comments: 2
Kudos: 53





	Cutest Couple

**Author's Note:**

> [Postie](https://lovlieziam.tumblr.com/post/190886523246/brooke-i-will-love-you-forever-if-you-write)

Zayn had always been particularly flirty with Liam, despite how shy both boys were in the beginning. Liam wasn’t sure what brought that part out in Zayn, but he wasn’t complaining. Well, not at first, at least.

It was cute, in the beginning, watching Zayn throw an awkward wink Liam’s way, all shy and bright red. Embarrassment never stopped Zayn where Liam was concerned, though. Those first few months of the boys all getting to know each other was rough and exciting, and watching Zayn make a fool of himself just to make Liam feel more included, more like he belong and was _welcomed_ , neve failed to make Liam absolutely giddy with joy.

He had never taken Zayn seriously, though, not really. Zayn flirted with a lot of people in those first few month, and he did a much better job with that flirting—with flirting that didn’t directly involve Liam. At first, Liam was a bit upset despite all the joy that friendly flirting brought—Liam thought Zayn was _cute_ , okay? It broke his very naïve heart to see Zayn so effortlessly flirting and charming everyone around him, while he had to stutter he way through a cliché pick-up line directed at Liam.

Still, Liam _loved_ the flirting, even if it broke his heart a little. Zayn wasn’t the first cute boy who hadn’t looked twice at Liam, and Liam was quite sure he wouldn’t be the last. That was okay, Liam had a lot of practice in pretending like it didn’t bother him.

And it _didn’t,_ okay? So what Zayn had gotten much, _much_ better at flirting over the last few years? So what that the shy glances and stuttered lines had morphed into sly quips and heated glances? So what that Liam had done a completely shit job at getting over his—small, insignificant, really—crush on Zayn? So what that Zayn still flirted with everyone like it was a joke—like it was an icebreaker, like it was simply a way of introducing himself?

_So what_ that Liam was now pathetically, hopelessly in love with Zayn and watching him throw around pick-up lines like it was fucking confetti made his—still so _naïve—_ heart crack and creak around the edges? So what that now when Zayn flirted with Liam, all he could do was _ache_ with ‘what ifs’ and ‘I wants’?

It was fine, really. It was all totally okay, and Liam was coping like any fully grown, mature adult would do.

He was avoiding Zayn like the fucking _plague_. In fact, Liam was doing such a good job of being a fully realized, mature adult that he hadn’t seen or talked to Zayn in a little over a week.

The fact that that was, quite literally, the longest they had ever gone without contact since they met those fateful years ago? Insignificant.

Liam was actually surprised he had managed to avoid Zayn for this long—Zayn could be quite persistent when he wanted to be, and if Liam wasn’t seeking Zayn out for company, then chances were Zayn was seeking Liam.

But, of course, his good luck—see also: stubborn, bullheaded ways—had to run out at some point. So when Zayn—along with the three other boys—turned up at his door exactly one week and three days after Liam had promised himself he was going to move on by avoiding Zayn, he wasn’t exactly surprised.

“What are you guys doing here?” Liam asked, already moving aside to let them in. It was pointless to try and stop them. Harry had a key—a key he _still_ wouldn’t tell Liam how he acquired—and even if he didn’t, they would just resort to making a bunch of noise—pounding on the door, the windows, quite literally throwing _rocks_ at his house.

Fucking Louis.

“We decided it had been too long since we all hung out! So, what better time than now?” Harry exclaimed.

Liam raised an eyebrow. “On a completely random Tuesday night? Yeah, that makes total sense.”

“Exactly!” Harry beamed at Liam over his shoulder, already heading to the kitchen with his bags of snacks as Liam closed the door behind them all. Louis and Niall were quick to follow, shouting about which snacks were theirs and what Harry better have not forgotten.

Zayn lingered behind, and when Liam looked up to meet his gaze, Zayn leaned over and bumped their shoulders.

“Hey, Li,” he murmured. “Feel like it’s been forever since I’ve seen you.”

Liam let out a soft, slightly awkward chuckle. “Yeah, s-sorry. I’ve been, uh, I’ve been real busy lately.” He rubbed a palm against the back of his neck, looking up at Zayn through his lashed. There was a soft look on Zayn’s face, only further softened by the sadness Liam could see lingering around his eyes.

All of a sudden, a wall of guilt slammed into Liam. It wasn’t Zayn’s fault Liam had been harboring stubborn, hard to get rid of feelings for Zayn all these years. He shouldn’t have shut Zayn out like that—should’ve thought about the effect his sudden radio silence would have on the other man.

“I’m really sorry for ghosting like that, Zed. I promise it won’t happen again.”

Liam watched Zayn’s nose scrunch as he smiled, and _fuck_ , but was that _cute._

“It’s okay, Li. I get it. Sometimes we get busy; there’s nothing we can do about it. We’ve got time now, yeah?” And, suddenly, Zayn’s expression was changing. Gone was the adorable smile, and in it’s place was a hooded stare as Zayn dragged his bottom lip through his teeth. “In fact, we’ve got all night, huh?”

Liam felt his pulse spike, his throat suddenly dry as he tried to swallow around the groan that wanted to work it’s way past. Liam’s lips parted on a reply, but nothing came out. What the fuck was he supposed to say? Certainly not what he _wanted_ to say.

Almost as quick as it disappeared, Zayn’s goofy, adorable smile came back, but the twinkle in his eye remained. “C’mon, Li. You don’t want them to start the movie without us, do you?” And with that he was bounding down the hall, leaving Liam slightly breathless and still speechless in his wake.

*

As it turns out, they didn’t watch a movie. Instead, they all piled on Liam’s couch before Louis declared it was a “trashy reality TV night!” So they flipped through the channels, judging people’s bad relationship choices and, well, bad choices in general. It was actually nice, just spending time with four of his best friends and not having to worry about Zayn going overboard with the flirting. It was just. It was really nice. Until Harry had to go and ruin it by opening his big mouth—

“I don’t know, I actually think they make such a cute couple.” Louis snorted from his spot next to Niall, but Zayn. Fucking Zayn—

“We’d make such a cute couple, don’t you think, Li? Could put all these people to shame with our cuteness.”

Liam felt himself tense, his completely relaxed mood from seconds ago disappearing.

“I-I,” Liam stuttered, not even slightly sure what to say. All four boys were focused on him, his stuttering over innocent flirting, and _fuck_ this is exactly what Liam had wanted to avoid. When Zayn flirted with him, he turned into a stumbling mess—his feelings on clear display.

He couldn’t do this, not when Louis was giving him that knowing look and Niall was casting a worried glance his way, and Zayn was—

He was looking up at Liam, that soft, fond look that made Liam think of sleepy morning kisses and slow dancing. That look that made Liam think of sweet cuddles and a lifetime of shared laughs. And Liam, he couldn’t, he—

He couldn’t _be_ here. He couldn’t sit here and look into Zayn’s warm gaze and pretend like he wasn’t ass over tea kettle for the guy. He just _couldn’t._

So he bolted. He jumped up from the couch, running to lock himself in his room to have his break down in private, as four voices called out his name behind him. Liam didn’t turn around, instead he sank down against his closed door, putting his head in his hands.

He got maybe two seconds of privacy—not nearly enough time for a proper breakdown—before there was a soft knock, followed by Zayn’s quiet, “Li?”

And Liam was so tired. He was tired of pretending like he didn’t have massive feelings for Zayn, tired of the pitying looks shot his way whenever Zayn flirted around the other boys, and just _tired_ of acting like a part of himself didn’t exist.

Because his feelings for Zayn was a big part of him, and it always would be. Liam was kidding himself if he thought they’d go away because they wouldn’t. If they hadn’t by now after years of actively trying, they were _never_ going to leave him.

“I think we would,” Liam said, his voice slightly muffled by his palms.

“What?” Liam didn’t blame Zayn for his confusion.

“I think we would. Make a cute couple. I—” Liam took a deep breath, braced himself before standing up and turning around and opening the door. Zayn stumbled forward a little, catching himself before he crashed into Liam.

“Zayn, I’m in love with you. I have been since, fuck, since we were kids. I think we would make a really, really cute couple, and I can’t. I know you’re just joking, that you’re just flirting to flirt when you say shit like that, but I’m not. I don’t take it as a joke when you do it, all I want is for it to be real and you—you can’t keep flirting with me, Zayn. You _can’t_ , okay? You can’t if you don’t mean it because—”

But Liam didn’t get to finish because his next breath was cut off by Zayn’s lips crashing into his. They kissed for a moment, until Liam pulled away, breathless.

“Zayn, what—”

“It’s only real with you, Li. The flirting? I only mean it with you, Li. I love you, too. So much.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”


End file.
